Reverend David Howe

Twenty Years of Shared Commitment to the Community and the Lord

On September 1, Reverend David Howe celebrated his 20-year anniversary as Pastor of the United Pentecostal Church in Hudson. Howe serves the community as town pastor and chaplain for the Hudson Police and Fire departments. Howe also serves as the District Superintendent for the NH/VT United Pentecostal Church.

Howe fondly reflects on his twenty years of service, sharing what has made his experience so memorable.

Born in Jonesport, Maine, Howe was raised Pentecost. His father was a pastor. “Because my dad was in the ministry, I distinctly tried to shy away from it, and make sure I wasn’t going into the ministry because he had.” However, Howe says, “Becoming a pastor was a decision between myself and the Lord. I felt it was what the Lord had intended for my life.”

Howe’s family moved from ME to NH during his school years. Howe graduated from Alvirne High School in 1967, “and that marked the end of my formal schooling,” said Howe.

Howe’s father was the founding pastor of Hudson’s United Pentecostal Church. Howe served alongside his father for several years, until accepting a position as Pastor of the United Pentecostal Church in Belfast, ME. In the months that followed, Howe’s father suffered a heart attack, which took him out of the ministry. It was during this sad turn of events that that Hudson’s United Pentecostal Church voted Howe in as head pastor. “If they’d ask me then if this would have led to a 20 year commitment, I’d have told them that I wasn’t thinking past a year,” said Howe.

The United Pentecostal Church has three levels of licensing. Howe was first licensed in the United Pentecostal Church in 1975. He was ordained in 1981.

When asked to describe his most monumental accomplishment during his twenty years of service, Howe replied, “my interaction with people. This is all about helping somebody else. It’s about helping people make a change that will help them now, and through the eternal future.”

Howe says that as the world changes, caring for people becomes even more acute. He reports his greatest challenge to be reaching out and trying to help people who are in continuous patterns of being hurt. “Showing people you care can only be done by example. But those who are bruised over and over have so little hope and seem skeptical of everything and everyone.” He adds, “It takes a lot to overcome that. The keystone to it all is for people to evidence Jesus Christ in their life.”

Howe has had the opportunity to preach both locally and internationally. During his most recent international mission, Howe traveled to the Swazi land in South Africa. He’s made two trips to this destination. Howe proudly recalls how privileged he was to participate in the dedication of a new church building, erected in the Swazi land. “It was really not much of a building by our standards.” He describes the church’s foundation, made of homemade blocks and wood. “People were proud that day,” says Howe. Howe preached during the service, accompanied by two interpreters to aide in the translation of two regional dialects.

Howe has also ventured on a two-week mission to Chile. Howe says that he and a mission’s interpreter traveled miles by car, preaching at twelve United Pentecostal churches. “One thing you realize,” says Howe, “is that people are people no matter where you meet them.” Howe said he was sent to Chile to represent and give a bit of encouragement from a North American church.

When asked what the future holds for United Pentecostal in Hudson, Howe enthusiastically described one of his short-term goals. He reports that the church is in the process of coordinating a training program for disadvantaged women who are in need of job skills. He suggests possible candidates as being single mothers who are financially burdened and women who find themselves alone and or widowed. The church’s goal is to teach these women Microsoft Office tools so that they become more marketable for employment. Excited about this effort, Howe adds, “Although I’m behind it, it’s truly an effort being taken on by our entire church.” The training program is said to begin in the near future.

When asked what kind of legacy he wants to leave, Howe replied, “I want to finish well. Many people have been a positive influence in my life and I want to return the feeling to others coming behind me. I strive to live my life in such a way that I won’t leave stains of embarrassment for others to deal with.” He chuckles, “As I look at the next twenty years, I may not be out to pastor but I’ll be awfully close to the fences!”

He adds, “For anyone contemplating going into ministry, go for it. It’s a good thing! The good Lord intends for us to work. There’s something out there for everybody, and once you find a job you like to do, you’ll never work another day in your life.”

Howe and his wife Jane will be celebrating 35 years of marriage in May. They have raised three children and have five grandchildren. When taking time to be together, Howe says you’ll often find he and Jane boating or fishing.